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Location notes

Arpley Junction is adjacent to Warrington Bank Quay Station, but is located on the goods line that passes beneath. The line used to continue to Manchester but due to structural damage on a bridge over the Ship Canal, it was truncated at Latchford Sidings in the 1980s, just past Arpley Junction to the east.

Railway type and traffic

The main freight passing beneath Warrington station are coal trains to Fiddlers Ferry Power Station. These follow a complex route from Liverpool Docks. Most workings reverse at Edge Hill, before proceeding via Rainhill and Earlestown and through Bank Quay station. They then run round in Arpley Yards, before passing Arpley Junction to Latchford Sidings. They then run round again to pass Arpley once more to head to Fiddlers Ferry. Occasionally they can be routed via Widnes to Liverpool instead of via the reverse of the above route, which will entail them exiting Fiddlers Ferry, passing Arpley Junction to Latchford, running round and heading back past Arpley and Fiddlers Ferry to Speke. Generally a train will take 30-40 minutes between passing through Bank Quay on the main line to heading under the station to Fiddlers Ferry. They will take about 90-120 minutes then to return. There are usually about 3 trains operating this circuit, but are dependant on a ship arriving at Liverpool Bulk Terminal.Other freight trains also use Latchford Sidings to reverse when Arpley Yard is busy.

Link to Real Time Trains

RTT Link Warrington, Arpley JunctionThis link should be close to the location, but may not be the actual location so please check the page. This link will take you to what is happening 'around now'. Dates and times can be changed at the top of the page.

Environment

The bridge is on a fairly busy road leading to some businesses and Arpley Yard.

Road directions

Head for Bank Quay station in Warrington, following signposts. Passing the station heading south (station to right), the road bends left. The first road on the right takes you over the bridge.

There are toilets on the station and a small buffet. The nearest bar is located in the hotel directly opposite the station. The nearest Wetherspoons pub is visible at the far end of the road to the left of the hotel. There is an excellent Sandwich shop near the station, turn left outside the station, past the Newsagents, to the following corner.

There are two bridges next to each other crossing the line to Fiddlers Ferry and the line up to the yards. The best shots are in a morning of a train heading from underneath Bank Quay station (from Fiddlers Ferry) and in the afternoon looking over the junction of one heading the opposite way, though remember trains will return from Latchford after about 15-20 minutes. Trains heading to Fiddlers Ferry often stop between the bridge and the station to change crews. It is quite often possible to run to the station and take another shot of the train from the footbridge steps next to the station taxi rank.

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